The Sorrows of Profit by Mike Hastie

Every time you buy a boy a violent toy you trample his soul.

The following is a cadence that was sung by the Marine Corps during basic training, and also midshipmen at the U.S. Navel Academy during the Vietnam War. In 2006, I met Kim Phuc, who was the nine-year-old Vietnamese girl who was napalmed during the Vietnam War. The picture of her running down a road with her arms stretched out became one of the most iconic images ever taken. When I heard her speak, she broke down during her presentation, and the shame we all felt in the predominately American audience was beyond belief.

Napalm Sticks to Kids

We shoot the sick, the young, the lame,
We do our best to maim,
Because the kills all count the same,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Chorus: Napalm sticks to kids,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Flying low across the trees,
Pilots doing what they please,
Dropping frags on refugees,
Napalm sticks to kids.

See those farmers over there,
Watch me get them with a pair,
Blood and guts just everywhere,
Napalm sticks to kids.

I’ve only seen it happen twice,
But both times it was mighty nice,
Shooting peasants planting rice,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Napalm, son, is lots of fun,
Dropped in a bomb or shot from a gun,
It gets the gooks when on the run,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Drop some napalm on a farm,
It won’t do them any harm,
Just burn off their legs and arms,
Napalm sticks to kids.

CIA with guns for hire,
Montagnards around a fire,
Napalm makes the fire go higher,
Napalm sticks to kids.

I’ve been told it’s not so neat,
To catch gooks burning in the street,
But burning flesh, it smells too sweet,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Children sucking on a mother’s tit,
Wounded gooks down in a pit,
Dow Chemical doesn’t give a shit,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Bombardiers don’t care a bit,
Just as long as the pieces fit,
When you stuff the bodies in a pit,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Cobras flying in the sun,
Killing gooks is lots of fun,
Get one pregnant and it’s two for one,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Shoot civilians where they sit,
Take some pictures as you spit,
All your life you’ll remember it,
Napalm sticks to kids.

NVA are all hard core,
Flechettes never are a bore,
Throw those PSYOPS out the door,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Gather kids as you fly over town,
By throwing candy on the ground,
Then grease ’em when they gather ’round,
Napalm sticks to kids.

Several years ago I met a woman who was married to a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. He spent three tours in Vietnam flying heavily armed jets. Their two sons were born during his time in the military. She told me he got out of the service after the war, and spent most of his time being very depressed. Two of his pilot friends who were also in Vietnam committed suicide. One day when their boys were still young,
her husband walked out of the house and never came home. He simply vanished, and she never heard from him again.

Mike Hastie served as an Army Medic in Vietnam he is now a member of Veterans For Peace.

I`m sure you`re aware of the Project for a new American Century and the defining document that was published in September of 2000. It`s well worth a read for its prophetic vision of US hegemony, some of which has come to fruition, some of which is still `work in progress!`

Mike, thanks. This is a song I had not come across. Napalm and ‘Improved Napalm’ with added adhesion were invented and tested at Porton Down, Wiltshire in Britain. Britain is also a protagonist in this war crime. I can’t get the words, Napalm sticks to kids out of my head.